Pitchers & Catchers Report to Ft. Myers

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

It was another enjoyable night of trivia last night at Professor Thom's, as we had Sopranos Trivia for the first round, and after that we had a special 5 question round for one special contestant who was vying for a Sopranos Season 6 DVD (and she won). The Sopranos questions were mutiple choice, to the relief of most of the contestants. The top teams in that round won prizes like Sopranos t-shirts, hats and playing cards. (the overall winners of the night also won similar prizes.)

Overall it was about the closest trivia contest we've ever had in the entire time I've been doing the trivia nights. 4 teams were tied for first place going into the fourth round. A team called "Guaranteed 4th" pulled it out in the final round.

Here is the questions and answers from last night's contest.

Sopranos Trivia1. "A friend of mine" is mob shorthand for: a) a rival family member; b) just another guy on the street; c) a girlfriend. Answer: b2. "Associate" is mob shorthand for: a) a boss' underboss; b) A friend of a rival family; c) one who works with mobsters but has not taken a vow of Omerta yet. Answer: c3. What is the name of the restaurant owned by Tony's close friend Artie Bucco? a) La Trattoria; b) Bucco's Ristorante; c) Bucco's Vesuvio Answer: c4. What was the cause of death of Tony's father, Johnny Soprano? a) cancer; b) emphysema; c) murder. Answer: a5. "A box of ziti" is mob shorthand for: a) $1000; b) $10; c) a box of bullets. Answer: a6. In what town was Tony raised in? a) Newark; b) Trenton; c) West Orange. Answer: c7. What is Tony's legit profession: a) Hauling service executive; b) Waste management executive; c) Owner of the Bada Bing. Answer: b8. In season three, who did the FBI code as "Baby Bing?" a) Tony; b) AJ; c) Meadow. Answer: b9. At the end of season two, Tony is arrested for what crime? a) racketeering; b) murder; c) mail fraud. Answer: c10. "Crank" is mob shorthand for: a) heroin; b) cocaine; c) speed (crystal meth). Answer: cCurrent Events1. A 14-acre mansion in Montecito, California was sold over the weekend for $29 million and it once served as a setting for which 1980s gangster film? Scarface2. This film that just opened Friday, knocked "Borat" out of first place and became the number one film for the week. Happy Feet3. Near riots broke out around the country when large crowds attempted to be the first to buy this product. Playstation Three4. On Saturday, 3 Englishmen dressed like Robin Hood and His Merry Men and gave away $1000 in small bills to people in this New York City park. Washington Square Park5. This publishing company had planned to publish a controversial book later this month by O.J. Simpson called "If I Did It." Harper Collins/Regan Books6. A $15 million sale of this rock legend's song rights were held up this past weekend until the correct ownership was sorted out. Jimi Hendrix7. The concrete foundation of this future New York City skyscraper was started this past weekend after many long delays. The Freedom Tower8. This rap star was arrested last week in NYC after allegedly posing as an undecover cop and ordering a cabby to run a series of red lights. The Game9. This NYC Congressman announced that he will bring in legislation next year to Congress to revive the draft. Charles Rangel10. President Bush attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last week in this nation. Vietnam

Movie Quotes1. "You're some kind of woman. Wanna make $14, the hard way?" (1980) Caddyshack2. "It's good to be The King." (1981) History of the World Part I3. "Say hello to my little friend!" (1983) Scarface4. "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey5. "I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning instead of Christmas Eve, and I believe in slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days." (1988) Bull Durham6. "Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary." (1989) Dead Poets Society7. "You stay classy, San Diego." (2004) Anchorman8. "Time travelling is much too dangerous. Better I devote myself to the study of the other great mystery of the universe...women." (1989) Back to the Future Part II9. "I always hoped that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make her physically sick, pop the question and settle down and be happy. It worked for my parents, well, apart from the divorce and all that." (1994) Four Weddings and a Funeral10. "My teen angst bullshit now has a body count." (1989) Heathers

TV Trivia1. Art Fleming once hosted this TV game show in the 1960s and '70s, which was revived in 1984 and is now one of the most popular game shows in syndication. Jeopardy!2. "The Jeffersons" was a spinoff of which classic TV series? All In The Family3. Which star of "The Breakfast Club" was part of the original cast of "The Facts of Life?" Molly Ringwald4. What was the name of Richie Cunningham's rarely seen older brother on the TV series "Happy Days?" Chuck5. Every episode of "Seinfeld" contains an image or reference to which superhero? Superman6. What product was banned from TV advertising in 1971? Cigarettes7. Which comedian was the very first host of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975? George Carlin8. On which Fox variety series did "The Simpsons" make their debut on? The Tracey Ullman Show9. On the game show "Deal Or No Deal," how many total briefcases are there? 2610. Richard Hatch was the first champion on which reality show? Survivor

General Knowledge1. Name 4 of the 6 official languages of the United Nations. English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic2. Which woman had "the face that launched a thousand ships?" Helen of Troy3. Which jazz great was nicknamed "Satchmo?" Louis Armstrong4. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Which one is second largest? Saturn5. Which is the world's smallest ocean? Arctic6. Which European country still controls a country in South America? France (French Guyana)7. Name one of the two NFL teams that traditionally hosts a game on Thanksgiving Day? Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys8. Which American president signed into law making Thanksgiving Day a national holiday? Abraham Lincoln (1863)9. Which legendary showman is credited with the statement, "There's a sucker born every minute?" P.T. Barnum10. Who directed the classic films, "M*A*S*H", "Nashville" and "The Player?" Robert Altman

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About Me

I work as a background actor in movies and TV here in New York City, and I am also a Trivia host.

I am also "Lt. Guvna of Trivial Things" of Red Sox Nation-NY. BTW, I am NOT the guy who writes that column for the New York Daily News. (He's not a Red Sox fan.) I also follow the New York Mets (NL), the Minnesota Vikings, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the New York Islanders and Liverpool FC (I was a fan long before John Henry took over), as my favorite sports teams.

I welcome all email (no spam please), especially if you'd like to exchange links or have any trivia feedback, at: jbq1462@hotmail.com.

I am looking to expand my Trivia Empire to other establishments, so if you know a place looking for a Trivia host, please drop me an email about it.